Captains
Picking a captain in keeper leagues can be a challenge, especially if injuries or lack of depth leave you without a standout option. That’s where we come in. Instead of the obvious choices, we’re looking at some under-the-radar captaincy options who could deliver big scores this week.
I’d be backing in Jack Steele again this week against Richmond. Needless to say, the Tigers are going to give up plenty of points—and Steele averages 107 from his past three games against them.
I’m liking Jai Newcombe at the moment, especially coming up against GWS in Launceston—a ground where he scored 159 the last time he played there. He’s averaged 130 from his past three games at UTAS and scored 103 the last time he faced the Giants.
Andrew Brayshaw hasn’t hit top form yet this season, but he faces West Coast this week—the second-easiest team for midfielders to score against so far. He scored 115 in the last derby and should bounce back here.
You should have no hesitation putting the captaincy on Jack Macrae this week. After putting up a monster score against Geelong, he comes up against a leaky Richmond side. Expect him to go big again.
Lachie Whitfield scored 137 the last time he played Hawthorn and averages 113.7 from their past three meetings. The only flag is that he’s only played in Launceston once and managed just 84 points—something to keep in mind.
Vice-Captain
For vice-captains, we focus on players featuring in the first two games of the round—guys who fit the same mold as our captains but aren’t the go-to selections. If you’re looking for an early VC loophole play, we’ve got you covered.
Tim English hasn’t had the best start to the season, but he faces Carlton this week—currently the fifth-easiest team for rucks to score against. He’s averaged 101.3 in his last three against them, making him a solid VC option.
Patrick Cripps is an obvious VC candidate, even though his form has been a little flat. He did score 127 against the Bulldogs last time they met, so he’s worth a loophole play.
Kane Farrell has taken on a nice half-back role since Dan Houston left. He generally goes 85+ at Marvel, so he’s one to keep in mind as a left-field VC option.
It’s hard to ignore George Hewett’s form—he’s averaging 110.5 over the opening two rounds. That said, he’s only averaged 69.3 from his last three against the Bulldogs. He does enjoy playing at Marvel, though.
Despite a slow start to the season, I’d still be backing in Jason Horne-Francis this week. He scored 111 against Essendon the last time they played and averages 90.3 from his past three games at Marvel Stadium.
Streamers
Here we highlight players with strong scoring history against their upcoming opponents or other factors that suggest they could be worth a punt. Whether you’re scraping the waiver wire or looking for a sneaky bench loophole, these are the names to consider.
Zak Jones has been playing a wing role for St Kilda. Both of Port Adelaide’s wingmen scored 95+ against Richmond last week, so I think Jones could do the same this weekend.
Taylor Walker makes the streamer list again this week. He’s averaged 81 in his last three against North Melbourne and had 74 in their last meeting. North haven’t been easy for key forwards to score against this year, and there’s always the sub risk with Tex—but if he plays a full game, he should go OK.
Tom Cole looks like a strong stream option against arch-rivals Fremantle. He scored 109 the last time they met and averages 72.7 in their past three encounters. Freo are also the easiest team for defenders to score against so far this season.
Sam Powell-Pepper comes up against Essendon—currently the easiest team for forwards to score against. His record against them isn’t great (averaging 62 over his last three), but the matchup should work in his favour this time.
Mitch Georgiades is another worth streaming against the Bombers. He had 86 the last time they played and averages 79.3 from their past three meetings.
Want more projections? View the top 20 projected scores of the round here…
